Cotton-gin.



No. 700,347. Patented may 2o,- |902.

v n. B. LuMPKm.

COTTON GIN.

(Applicatiqn 1ed Oct. 3, 1900.) i (No Model.) l 2,Shets-Sheet I.

mi Nownls sirens Pumu'ruq, wasnmu'mn, v. c.

(No Model.)

Patented May 20, |902.

R. B. LUMPI'UPL COTTON GIN.

(Application ledvOct. 8, 1900.)

2 Shouts-Sheet 2.

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UNITED smet-S1 PATENT riioii;

ROBERT B. LUMPKIN, oBs'TUoBBs", TEXAS.

COTTON-GIN.

sPEcIFIcATIoN forming pare o'f Letters Patent No. 700,347, dated May ao, 1902. Application liletlctober, 1900.- Serial No. 31,1913'. l(No model.)

To a'ZZ iotom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT B. LUMPKIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Storrs, in the county of Falls and State of Texas, have invented a new and usefulCotton- Gin, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to cottongins, and particularly to that class wherein the lint is removed from the gin-saws by a blast of air.

The object of the invention is to present a simply-constructed, thoroughly-efficient, and highly-'durable form of "cottorbgin ini which the parts shall be so constructed and assembled as to be readily removable where repairsl are necessary or where a broken or damaged part is to be replaced by a new part.

With these and other objects in view, as Will appear as the nature ofthe invention is better understood, the same consists of the Y novel construction and combination of parts of a cotton-gin, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanyingl drawings, forming a part of the specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, there is illustrated a form of embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into effect, it being understood that the elements herein exhibited may be varied or changed as to shape, proportion, and exact manner of assemblage without departing from the scope of the invention, and in these drawlngs- Figure l is a View in sectional elevation of a cotton-gin characterizing this invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional detached detail view showing the manner of constructing the air-discharge blast-nozzle. Fig. 3 isa similar View showing a combined air-equalizing and fireextinguishing device. Fig. 4 `is a diagrammatic view in plan, ,exhibitinga battery of four gins and a blast-fan'and duct to direct a blast offairagainstthe gin-saws.' v

Inpthe embodiment ofthe inventionherein exhibited the gin-saws 1 are of the common or any preferred form and are mounted Von the usual shaft 2, which has its bearings in a supporting-frame 3, which may be of any preferred construction. f

The breast 4 of the gin,co1nprising the seedboard 5 and grate 6, is hinged at its lower side at '7 to' the frame 3, whereby the breast, witli i the grate and seed-board, may be turned back and rest upon the floor supportingthe gin, therebyA leaving the saws freely exposed for purposes of cleaning or to permit of a gang of saws' being lifted fromthe gin without removing the feeders 8 at 'the top of the stand.

l This manner of hingingithe breast to the supporting-frame is of great importance,as where lthe saws are to be cleaned or removed from the supporting-frame a great amount of time and labor will be saved, as when the breast l is turned back to the position described the saws,above pointed out, will be entirely freed r from any obstruction that would hinder ready access thereto. i .are associated permanently with the breast,

As the grate and seed-'board the position of theseparts will not vbe disturbed when the breast is moved away from the saws.Y

The blast-fan 9, which supplies the air for removing the lint from the teeth, discharges into a duct 10, which leads from the fan-casing 11, the duct opening into a transverselydisposed trunk 12,having branches' 13 leadbranch being provided withv aV head 14 of a width corresponding to that of a pair of gins, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 theforward ends of the heads being partially closed by a downward-projecting and slightly outward inclined the teeth of the saws, lby which arrangement' the lint is blown directly from the teeth and downward and Aoutward therefrom, The lips a of the'discharge-nozzles are connected by `braces b, spaced at appropriate distances apart, as shown in Fig. 2, the bracesoperating to hold the lips properly separated and to prevent their becoming displaced.

Theofftake chutes or conveyors v16, which connect the lint-chamber and the condensers,

are in elevation approximately horn-shaped-- that is to say, curved in a vertical sense-A -ing therefrom in avertical direction, each and of less cross-section at their intake ends 1S than at their discharge ends 17, and the discharge end of each chute is projected some distance into the condenser, whereby the said lint is discharged upward at an angle to the rear wall of the condenser, thereby causing an even distribution of the lint within the condenser and also preventing the lint from choking the mouth ot' the chute, which would operate to interfere with the proper operation of the apparatus.

It will readily be seen that if the discharge end 17 terminated flush with the front wall of the condenser as soon as the lint reached the lower edge of the mouth and then began piling up it would work back into the chute, whereas by disposing the discharge end in the manner described the lint may pile up within the condenser to a point a considerable distance above that at which the chute enters the condenser without any danger of the lint entering the chute. The end of the upper side of the chute is secured to the lower side of the head adjacent to the discharge-nozzles, thereby presenting a continuous contact-surface for the lint to impinge against from the said nozzles to the condenser. The end of the lower side of the intake end of the chute terminates some distance short of the saws, thereby leaving an open space between the saws and the said end; through which space the lint passes from the saws to the offtake-chutes, the said space also presenting a discharge through which motes and dirt from the lint may escape. Associated with the lower edge of the intake-mouth is an adjustable mote-board 19, the same consisting of an approximately U-shaped sheet of metal held in position on the chute by a bracket 20, carrying set-screws 2l, (one only being shown,) by which the mote-board may be held at any desired adjustment. The side oi' the mote-board that projects within the intake-chute is preferably disposed at an angle to the upper side thereof, presenting thereby a constricted passage at the intake end of the chute, which will operate to prevent back pressure from the condenser from forcing lint back against the saws.

The disposition of the mote-board with relation to the saws, as herein described, is of the highest importance, inasmuch as ready adjustment may be effected according to the character of the cotton being ginned. Thus if the ginning is heavy the mote-board will be moved toward the saws, thereby widenin g the passage between it and the upper wall of the chute, so that all danger of clogging the intake will be obviated. If, on the other hand, the gnning is light, the mote-board will be moved away from thc saws, thereby narrowing the passage between it and the upper wall of the chute and at a point where the best results will be attained. W'hile the means herein shown for adjusting the mote-board will be eitective in operation, it is to be understood that other means may be employed for the purpose and still be within the scope of the invention.

The condensers 22 may be of any usual or preferred construction, and therefore need no detailed description.

The blast of air from the fan varies in strength to some extent, and it is desirable to remedy this defect in order that the blast may be applied at an even and constant pressure. To effect this, there is provided a pressureequalizer (designated generally 23) which in the form herein shown comprises a collapsible chamber 24, communicating with the upper side of the duct l0, the top of this chamber being weighted, as by a vessel 25, filled with water. 1When the pressure of the blast increases beyond a certain point, the chamber 24 expands and constitutes a reservoir for compressed air, and as the pressure of the blast decreases the said chamber, owing to the superposed weight thereon, will collapse, and thereby force a volume of compressed air into the duct, and thus operate to maintain the airpressure in the duct at a uniform degree. As

other suitable means may be employed for equalizing the air-pressure, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise form of mechanism here shown for the purpose.

Connected with the vessel 25 is a pipe 26, which leads to the interior of the duct 10 and is provided with a nozzle 27 and with a cock or valve 28. Should a re originate in the gin, the valve 28 will be opened and water will be discharged into the duct and be carried by the air-blast into the branches and heads and be discharged upon the saws and thence into the chutes 1G, thereby in a ready and eiective manner causing extinguishment of the fire.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a cotton-gin, an ofitake-chute curved in a vertical plane and of less cross-section at its intake than at its outtake end, an adjustable approximately U-shaped mote board having one member projecting into the intake end of the chute, and means for holding the mote-board at the desired adjustment.

2. In a cotton-gin, the combination with the saws, of an oittake-chute having its lower side terminating short of the saws, an approximately U-shaped mote-board carried by the said lower side and disposed below the axis of the saws, and having one member projecting into the intake end of the chute, and a blast-nozzle having an elongated dischargemouth opening toward the chute.

3. In a cotton-gin, the combination with the saws and the condenser, of an o'fttake-chute approximately horn-shaped in side elevation, the smaller end constituting the intake and being disposed adjacent to the saws, and the larger end constituting the discharge and communicating with the condenser, the lower side of the intake terminating short of the saws presenting thereby a passage to permit IOO IIO

escape ofmotes and dirt, an adjustable approximately U-shaped mote-board carried by the lower side of the intake and having one member projecting into the chute, and blastnozzles disposed above the saws and discharging in the direction of the chute.

4. In a cotton-gin, an oitake-chute'curved d in a vertical plane and'of less cross-section chute and the other in engagement with thev at its intake than at its outtake end, a bracket carried by the intake end of the chute,.an approximately U -shaped mote-board having one member projecting into the intake end ofthe bracket, and means carried by the bracket for holding the mote-board at the desired adjustment.

5. In acotton-gin, the combination with the saws, of an ofEtake-chute having its lower side terminating short thereof, leaving thereby an open space to permit escape of metes and dirt, an approximately U-shaped moteboard .carried by the lower end of the chute and having one member projecting into the fintake end thereof, a condenser communicaty ing with the chute, blast mechanism, a head disposed adjacent to the saws and communieating with the blast` mechanism, a headboard partially closing the discharge end of the head,`and a blast-nozzle secured to the headboard and tothe lower side of the head and discharging toward the chute.

6. In a cotton-gin, the combination with the saws, of an otake-chute, Ian approximately' ing mechanism coact-ing with the blast mechanism.

Intestimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. j l

ROBERT B. LUMPKIN. Witnesses A J. H. 'PUNc'HARm B.T. ConNINo. 

